Search Results (26)

The present study examined how parental attachment and cultural background shape love styles in emerging adulthood. Drawing on attachment theory and cross-cultural perspectives, we investigated whether gender, attachment to mother and father, and nationality (Italian vs. Angolan) predicted the development of love styles in 370 young adults. Participants completed validated measures of parental attachment (IPPA) and love attitudes (LAS). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a differentiated pattern across love styles. Emotionally detached relational styles (Ludus) were significantly predicted by gender, paternal attachment, and nationality, with higher levels reported by men, those with lower paternal attachment, and Angolan participants. While Storge showed no significant associations, passionate love expression (Eros) was robustly predicted by nationality, with Italian participants reporting higher levels of passion in love. Results suggest that while paternal attachment serves as a critical developmental anchor in preventing Ludus, the cultural macrosystem remains the primary architect of Eros. These findings call for culturally attuned clinical and educational interventions that differentiate between early relational deficits and normative cultural variations in intimacy. Full article

This study explores the perspectives of monolingual English-speaking parents whose children are enrolled in elementary (Grades 1–5) French immersion (FI) in New Brunswick, Canada, where FI students learn mathematics in French. Using poetic inquiry within a feminist postmodern framework, we analyzed interview data from three parents to examine how they conceptualize the relationship between language and mathematics, and how these conceptualizations shape the ways they support their children’s mathematics learning. The resulting research poems reveal tensions in participants’ views of mathematics and language. For example, mathematics was at times positioned as detachable from language, although language was simultaneously described as a potential barrier to mathematical success. In turn, parental involvement was characterized by support toward monitoring linguistic markers, relearning pedagogical methods, and rehearsing procedures. By centring parents’ perspectives, this study contributes to research on multilingual mathematics education by illustrating how parental conceptualizations may play a role in shaping mathematics practices across home and school spaces. Methodologically, the study suggests that research poetry has analytic potential for surfacing tensions in parental sense-making that may remain overlooked in more conventional qualitative analyses. This study points to a need for resources and communication practices that support dialogue between schools and families about the relationship between language and mathematics in FI contexts. Full article

Background: This study explores post-traumatic growth (PTG) among parents of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs), a group often underrepresented in research. Method: A convergent parallel mixed-methods design integrating Bayesian Multilevel Latent Class Analysis and Thematic Analysis was utilized in a longitudinal study involving 58 caregivers (50 mothers, 8 fathers) from the Children’s Clinical University Hospital in Riga. Quantitative data were collected at diagnosis using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT) and Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10). Follow-up assessments post-treatment included the Responses to Stress Questionnaire (RSQ), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Qualitative data were collected through structured interviews. Results: A 2-class model distinguished parents with low PTG from those with moderate to high PTG. Change in values, detachment from trivial stressors, and acceptance of life emerged as key indicators of growth. PTG was not significantly correlated with overall post-traumatic stress symptoms, but engagement coping strategies showed a positive association with PTG and personality traits like extraversion and openness. Conclusions: The mixed methods approach revealed sample-specific PTG elements not reflected in standardized tools. Initial perceptions of the cancer diagnosis shaped psychological outcomes, with PTG facilitated by adaptive coping, self-reflection, support, emotional disclosure, and psychological struggle. This study offers the first insights into PTG among Latvian parents of CCSs, a previously unexplored area. Full article

The necrotrophic pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is widely distributed and infects a broad range of hosts, making it one of the most economically damaging plant pathogens. This study demonstrated that pyrimethanil, an anilinopyrimidine fungicide, exhibited potent activity against S. sclerotiorum, with EC₅₀ values ranging from 0.411 to 0.610 μg/mL. Four highly pyrimethanil-resistant mutants were obtained through chemical taming, with EC₅₀ values of 7.247 to 24.718 μg/mL. These mutants exhibited significantly reduced mycelial growth, sclerotia production, and pathogenicity compared to their wild-type parental isolates, indicating that pyrimethanil resistance suffered a fitness penalty in S. sclerotiorum. Notably, three mutants (DDJH-Pyri-R1, DDJH-Pyri-R3, and DDJH-Pyri-R4), completely lose the capacity to infect detached tomato leaves. Point mutations that cause amino acid changes in the predicted sequence of cystathione-γ synthase (CGS) and cystathione-β lyase (CBL), encoded by SsCGS1 and SsCGS2, were identified in three mutants. However, one mutant (DDJH-Pyri-R2) showed no mutations in these genes, suggesting an alternative resistance mechanism. Molecular docking revealed that mutations in SsCGS1-R3, SsCGS1-R4, and SsCGS2-R1 reduced the binding affinity between pyrimethanil and SsCGSs. No cross-resistance was observed between pyrimethanil and other commonly used fungicides, including carbendazim, fludioxonil, prochloraz, tebuconazole, pyraclostrobin, boscalid, fluazinam, and cyprodinil. These findings provide valuable insights for designing resistance inhibitors and suggest that pyrimethanil has significant potential for controlling soybean sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by S. sclerotiorum. Full article

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes and predictive factors of I-125 radioactive plaque therapy for recurrent and refractory retinoblastoma (Rb) cases that failed primary systemic chemotherapy and focal therapies. Methods: A retrospective study of 20 eyes with intraocular Rb treated with I-125 radioactive plaque therapy (Apex dose 45 Gy) from 2013 to 2023 was conducted. Data on tumor characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were collected over a follow-up period of at least one year. Results: There were 11 (55%) males and 8 (40%) patients who had bilateral disease. All 20 treated eyes (100%) showed initial tumor regression, while long-term tumor control and eye salvage were achieved in 14 eyes (70%). Six eyes (30%) experienced uncontrollable tumor recurrence after a mean of 6 months (range: 3–12 months) after plaque therapy. Recurrence included main tumor activity in six eyes and additional resistant vitreous seeds in two of them. Poor predictive factors for eye salvage included Group D at diagnosis (p = 0.044), active vitreous seeds at the time of plaque therapy ((p = 0.045), tumor thickness >5.0 mm (p = 0.045), and tumor base dimension >12 mm (p = 0.023). Post-plaque complications included cataracts in seven eyes (35%), tumor hemorrhage in six eyes (30%), retinal detachment in four eyes (20%), radiation retinopathy in three eyes (15%), and neovascular glaucoma in one eye (5%). Five (83%) of those with tumor hemorrhage had plaque surgery performed within less than 6 months of the last cycle of systemic chemotherapy. At a mean follow-up of 36 months (range: 12–96 months), five eyes (25%) were enucleated, and high-risk pathological features were identified in three eyes, including post-laminar optic nerve infiltration (one eye) and massive choroidal invasion (two eyes). All patients were alive and free of metastasis except one patient (5%) whose parents refused enucleation and came back with extra-scleral extension and bone marrow metastasis and eventually passed away. Conclusions: I-125 radioactive plaque therapy is a valuable salvage treatment for recurrent and refractory retinoblastoma, achieving tumor control and eye salvage in 70% of cases with an acceptable safety profile. However, the observed recurrence rate (30%) at an apex dose of 45 Gy suggests a need for dose optimization and individualized treatment strategies. Identifying high-risk features, such as Group D disease, active vitreous seeds, and larger tumors, is crucial for patient selection and outcome prediction. Future research should explore alternative dosing strategies, combination therapies, and improved predictive models to enhance long-term tumor control while minimizing complications. Full article

Family conflict has been demonstrated as a risk factor impacting children’s mental health and behaviors; however, the mechanisms underlying these connections are unclear. Focusing on 1622 children from low-income families (51.4% boys, 38.3% White, 35.5% Hispanic/Latino, 22.1% African American, 4.1% other), the current study examines the role that maternal depression and parenting behaviors play in the associations between family conflict in early childhood and children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors in early adolescence. Family conflict was positively associated with maternal depression at age 3 and detached parenting at age 5; however, maternal depression was linked to increased child internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and detached parenting was associated with decreased behavioral outcomes. Maternal depression at age 3 and intrusive parenting at age 5 successively mediated the association between family conflict and child externalizing. Multi-group analysis indicated different indirect paths of parenting behaviors in boys and girls. Specifically, in boys, the indirect effect of detached parenting on the links between family conflict and externalizing and internalizing behaviors was sustained. In girls, maternal depression and intrusive parenting sequentially explained the link between family conflict and externalizing behaviors. The findings highlighted the importance of addressing family well-being and parenting support, especially for children from low-income families. Full article

UM is an aggressive intraocular tumor characterized by high plasticity and a propensity to metastasize in the liver. However, the underlying mechanisms governing liver tropism remain poorly understood. Given the emerging significance of exosomes, we sought to investigate the contribution of UM-derived exosomes to specific steps of the metastatic process. Firstly, we isolated exosomes from UM cells sharing a common genetic background and different metastatic properties. A comparison of protein cargo reveals an overrepresentation of proteins related to cytoskeleton remodeling and actin filament-based movement in exosomes derived from the parental cells that may favor the detachment of cells from the primary site. Secondly, we assessed the role of macrophages in reprogramming the HHSCs by exosomes. The activation of HHSCs triggered a pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic environment through cytokine production, upregulation of extracellular matrix molecules, and the activation of signaling pathways. Finally, we found that activated HHSCs promote increased adhesion and migration of UM cells. Our findings shed light on the pivotal role of exosomes in pre-metastatic niche construction in the liver. Full article

Objective: Vertebro-vertebral arteriovenous fistulae (VVFs) are a rare disorder characterized by a direct shunt between the extracranial vertebral artery and the veins of the vertebral venous plexus. This study aims to comprehensively review the characteristics and outcomes of endovascular treatments for VVFs at our center. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 14 patients diagnosed with a VVF who underwent endovascular treatment at Siriraj Hospital from January 2000 to January 2023. The study assessed patient demographics, presentation, fistula location, treatment strategies, endovascular techniques employed, and treatment outcomes. Results: Among the 14 patients, 11 (78.6%) were female, with an age range from 25 to 79 years (median: 50 years). Spontaneous VVFs were observed in 64.3% of the cases, including three associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). Iatrogenic injury accounted for two cases, and three patients had VVFs resulting from traffic accidents. A pulsatile neck mass and tinnitus, with or without neurological deficits, were common presenting symptoms. Active bleeding was observed in three cases with vascular injury, while unilateral proptosis, congestive heart failure, and incidental findings each presented in one patient. All the VVFs were successfully obliterated without major treatment complications. Parent vessel sacrifice was performed in 85.7% of the cases, while vertebral artery preservation was achieved in the remaining two patients. Embolic materials included detachable balloons, detachable coils, and n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) glue. All the presenting symptoms showed improvement, and no morbidity or mortality was observed. Conclusions: Endovascular embolization is a feasible and effective approach for achieving complete VVF obliteration with safety. Parent artery sacrifice should not be reluctantly performed, particularly when adequate collateral circulation is demonstrated. Full article

Cognitive job demands are theoretically and empirically associated with sports participation in various ways. Workers may be overwhelmed by stress and fatigue from their workload and therefore refrain from sports activities, but they can also feel the need to use sports as a way to recover and detach from work. The strategy to which workers adhere can depend on workers’ resources that moderate the cognitive job demands and sports participation relationship, such as educational attainment, being a parent, or having worktime and work location control. To test our expectations, we used recent information on sports participation by young working adults from the Netherlands (N = 2032). Using multinomial logistic regression modelling, we found that workers in mentally demanding jobs were more likely to participate in sports more than three times a week. In particular, workers without children reported a higher likelihood of participating in sports more than three times a week when they experienced high cognitive job demands. Among the higher-educated, workers with high cognitive job demands were less likely to participate in sports one to three times a week. We reflect on the academic and policy-related implications of our findings. Full article

This study investigated the influence of social detachment and its associated factors on the prevalence of malnutrition in elderly residents of South Korean cities. We performed secondary analysis using the results of the 2020 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Older Persons in Korea conducted on the elderly population, aged 65 or older, in 969 survey districts, totalling 10,097 people. Hierarchical linear regression modelling was performed to identify the step-by-step influences on the risk for malnutrition. Based on the baseline survey, two-sevenths of elderly people living alone (ELA), one-fifth living with only their spouse (ELS), and one-fortieth living with children (ELC) were classified as at moderate risk of malnutrition, according to the criteria in the NSI (Nutrition Screening Initiative) Checklist. Physical (ΔR² = 0.017 of ELA, ΔR² = 0.026 of ELS, ΔR² = 0.012 of ELC, p < 0.001) and cognitive impairment (ΔR² = 0.002 of ELA, ΔR² = 0.002 of ELS, p < 0.01) appeared to increase the risk for malnutrition in all living arrangements with age. Noticeably, contact with separately living children, as another factor of family social capital, appeared to be associated with a decreased risk for malnutrition in the order of ELA, ELC and ELS, as confirmed in the cross-validated estimates of ΔR² (ΔR² = 0.043 of ELA, ΔR² = 0.01 of ELC, ΔR² = 0.009 of ELS, p < 0.001). Conjugal relationships appeared to be more important than parent-child relations for nutritional care of the elderly population. The demographic of elderly people living alone was the most vulnerable, as two-fifths of the ELA population is at double or triple the risk of malnutrition than those living with a spouse or with children. In all groups, social detachment, excluding conjugal relationships, was found to be a significant underlying determining factor connected to malnutrition in the elderly groups investigated in this study. Full article

Soil sand particles play a crucial role in soil erosion because they are more susceptible to being detached and transported by erosive forces than silt and clay particles. Therefore, in soil erosion assessment and mitigation, it is crucial to model and predict soil sand particles at unsampled locations using appropriate methods. The study was aimed to evaluate the ability of a multivariate approach based on non-stationary geostatistics to merge LiDAR and visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) diffuse reflectance data with laboratory analyses to produce high-resolution maps of soil sand content. Remotely sensed, high-resolution LiDAR-derived topographic attributes can be used as auxiliary variables to estimate soil textural particle-size fractions. The proposed approach was compared with the commonly used univariate approach of ordinary kriging to evaluate the contribution of auxiliary variables. Soil samples (0–0.20 m depth) were collected at 135 locations within a 139 ha forest catchment with granitic parent material and subordinately alluvial deposits, where soils classified as Typic Xerumbrepts and Ultic Haploxeralf crop out. A number of linear trend models coupled with different auxiliary variables were compared. The best model for predicting sand content was the one with elevation derived from LIDAR data as the only auxiliary variable. Although the improvement in estimation over the univariate model was rather marginal, the proposed approach proved very flexible and scalable to include any type of auxiliary variable. The application of LiDAR data is expected to expand as it allows the high-resolution prediction of soil properties, generally insufficiently sampled, at different spatial scales. Full article

We incorporated intergenerational digital communication (frequency of texting, video call, and social media interaction) into the intergenerational solidarity paradigm and identified new types of intergenerational and digital solidarity with adult children among older parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we examined whether those types are associated with older parents’ mental health (depressive symptoms, psychological well-being, and self-esteem). We used the 2021/2022 wave of the Longitudinal Study of Generations (LSOG), and a sample of 519 older parents (mean age = 69 years). Latent class analysis identified four classes describing intergenerational and digital solidarity with adult children (distant-but-digitally connected, tight-knit-traditional, detached, and ambivalent). We found that older parents who had distant-but-digitally connected and tight-knit-traditional relationships with their adult children reported better mental health, compared to those who had detached and ambivalent relationships with their adult children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings suggest that intergenerational digital communication should be considered as a digital solidarity in intergenerational solidarity paradigm, which is useful for measuring multidimension of intergenerational relationships within family members during and after the pandemic. Full article

The pharmaceutical success of atorvastatin (ATV), a widely employed drug against the “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and cardiovascular diseases, traces back to its ability to scavenge free radicals. Unfortunately, information on its antioxidant properties is missing or unreliable. Here, we report detailed quantum chemical results for ATV and its ortho- and para-hydroxy metabolites (o-ATV, p-ATV) in the methanolic phase. They comprise global reactivity indices, bond order indices, and spin densities as well as all relevant enthalpies of reaction (bond dissociation BDE, ionization IP and electron attachment EA, proton detachment PDE and proton affinity PA, and electron transfer ETE). With these properties in hand, we can provide the first theoretical explanation of the experimental finding that, due to their free radical scavenging activity, ATV hydroxy metabolites rather than the parent ATV, have substantial inhibitory effect on LDL and the like. Surprisingly (because it is contrary to the most cases currently known), we unambiguously found that HAT (direct hydrogen atom transfer) rather than SPLET (sequential proton loss electron transfer) or SET-PT (stepwise electron transfer proton transfer) is the thermodynamically preferred pathway by which o-ATV and p-ATV in methanolic phase can scavenge DPPH${}^{•}$ (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals. From a quantum chemical perspective, the ATV’s species investigated are surprising because of the nontrivial correlations between bond dissociation energies, bond lengths, bond order indices and pertaining stretching frequencies, which do not fit the framework of naive chemical intuition. Full article

Stickler syndrome (SS) is a genetic disorder with manifestations in the eye, ear, joints, face and palate. Usually inherited in a dominant fashion due to heterozygous pathogenic variants in the collagen genes COL2A1 and COL11A1, it can rarely be inherited in a recessive fashion from variants in COL9A1, COL9A2, and COL9A3, COL11A1, as well as the non-collagen genes LRP2, LOXL3 and GZF1. We review the published cases of recessive SS, which comprise 40 patients from 23 families. Both homozygous and compound heterozygous pathogenic variants are found. High myopia is near-universal, and sensorineural hearing loss is very common in patients with variants in genes for type IX or XI collagen, although hearing appears spared in the LRP2 and LOXL3 patients and is variable in GZF1. Cleft palate is associated with type XI collagen variants, as well as the non-collagen genes, but is so far unreported with type IX collagen variants. Retinal detachment has occurred in 18% of all cases, and joint pain in 15%. However, the mean age of this cohort is 11 years old, so the lifetime incidence of both problems may be underestimated. This paper reinforces the importance of screening for SS in congenital sensorineural hearing loss, particularly when associated with myopia, and the need to warn patients and parents of the warning signs of retinal detachment, with regular ophthalmic review. Full article

Objectives: AAV vectors are widely used in gene therapy, but the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies raised against AAV serotypes in the course of a natural infection, as well as innate and adaptive immune responses induced upon vector administration, is still considered an important limitation. In ocular gene therapy, vectors applied subretinally bear the risk of retinal detachment or vascular leakage. Therefore, new AAV vectors that are suitable for intravitreal administration for photoreceptor transduction were developed. Methods: Here, we compared human immune responses from donors with suspected previous AAV2 infections to the new vectors AAV2.GL and AAV2.NN—two capsid peptide display variants with an enhanced tropism for photoreceptors—with the parental serotype AAV2 (AAV2 WT). We investigated total and neutralizing antibodies, adaptive and innate cellular immunogenicity determined by immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry, and cytokine secretion analyzed with multiplex beads. Results: While we did not observe obvious differences in overall antibody binding, variants—particularly AAV2.GL—were less sensitive to neutralizing antibodies than the AAV2 WT. The novel variants did not differ from AAV2 WT in cellular immune responses and cytokine production in vitro. Conclusion: Due to their enhanced retinal tropism, which allows for dose reduction, the new vector variants are likely to be less immunogenic for gene therapy than the parental AAV2 vector. Full article